Hearts and Stars
by Rowena Zahnrei
Summary: A Valentine's Day story in which Geordi thinks he's planned the perfect date. Will his tightly engineered outing turn sour? STORY IN PROGRESS. Reviews Welcome! :)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ or any of the characters therein. Please don't sue me or steal my story. Thanks! :)

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Hi Everyone! :) I wanted to write a short story for Valentine's Day, but I was too sick and missed it. I missed the week after too. I was going to put the story idea in storage to play with next year, but it kept insisting on being written - mostly because I can't get the awesomeness of NASA's recent discovery of seven Earth-sized planets out of my head. So, since I'm starting to feel much better now, I figured I'd give this story a chance and see where it goes, even though it's quite belated. I hope you enjoy it!

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 **Hearts and Stars**

 _A Valentine's Day Story by Rowena Zahnrei_

Part One

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge felt like the luckiest guy in the galaxy. He had good friends, a career he loved that suited his talents and – to top it all off – he'd managed to land a date with Lt. Aubree Chambers.

"It's for this evening. 19:30, sharp," the engineer boasted to Guinan as he finished his synth-ale and slid the glass back across the bar. Alpha shift had just gone off duty and the Ten-Forward lounge was bustling with activity; still, Geordi knew the El-Aurian bartender was listening to his every word. "That might not mean so much out in deep space, but it's Valentine's Day back on Earth."

"Is Lt. Chambers from Earth?" Guinan asked as she poured his refill, then got to work setting up a drinks tray for one of her servers to pick up.

"Well, no," Geordi said. "She's from the Trappist system, but most of the colonies there were founded by Earth settlers, and they share a lot of the same holidays. But, that's not the point."

"It's not?"

"The point is, I've done my research," Geordi said. "I've asked around, gotten to know her tastes."

"Her tastes…?" Guinan repeated, her smooth brow quirked beneath her large, flat hat.

"You know, her favorite foods, the kind of places she likes to go on leave, the sort of little gestures and things she's told her friends she looks for on a first date," he explained. "It's all going in to this special holodeck program I've been developing. I'm telling you, Guinan, it's gonna be perfect!"

"I see," Guinan said. "So, you've 'researched' this woman. Talked to her friends and coworkers. By any chance, did you spend any time talking with _her_ about how this 'perfect' program should play out?"

"And ruin the surprise?" Geordi scoffed into his ale. "Come on, Guinan, you listen to people all day. I'm sure you've heard plenty of the same things I've heard women complaining about when they're out with their friends. They want a man who pays attention to them, right? A man who knows what they like, who makes the extra effort to sweep them off their feet."

"And, your date..?" Guinan asked, pouring two coffees and a synthetic whiskey for a trio of officers at the far side of the bar.

"After ship's business, planning this evening for Lt. Chambers has been my overriding project of the week," the engineer told her. "I'm going to give Aubree the most romantic experience she's ever had. I've got everything set, down to the last detail."

"I'm sure you do," Guinan said dryly, setting the coffee pot back in the machine.

Geordi's brow wrinkled over his VISOR, her tone and attitude starting to grate the edges off his good mood.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

Guinan regarded him with her usual calm.

"It means this is a Valentine's date, not an engineering assignment," the bartender told him.

Geordi's frown deepened.

"You think I'm over planning this."

"I'm just saying," she said, "dating is a two-player game."

"That's _why_ I've been crafting this holodeck program!" Geordi protested. "You know me, Guinan – give me my pick of romantic getaways, and you'll find me spread out on a sandy beach soaking in the tropical sun. Not this program. The whole experience is tailored just for her: a romantic sunset over snowy mountains, one of those wooden cabin cafes that serve mulled wine and hot chocolate—"

"All right," Guinan said, holding up her hands. "I get it. I just hope it works out this time."

Geordi scowled, and set his glass back down.

"Look, Guinan," he said, "just because I haven't had a date in a while doesn't mean I don't know how to romance a lady. I mean, it was hard enough finding time to meet people when I was a junior officer. As chief engineer, the demands on my time are so—"

The wide doors slid open and Lt. Commander Data strode into the crowded lounge, politely skirting a pair of exiting ensigns to make a direct bee-line to Geordi's side.

"Good afternoon Geordi, Guinan," the android greeted his friends. "I hope I am not interrupting, but I wished to pose a question and I thought it would be best to do so in person."

Geordi regarded the pale android through his VISOR, hovering between annoyed and amused. He settled on curious.

"OK, Data," he said. "What's your question?"

"Will you be my Valentine?" Data asked, and held out a folded white card with that very question printed inside a festive, red heart.

Geordi took the card and opened it, snorting a slight chuckle as he read the invitation inside.

"Data, I'd love to go to the kids' Valentine's Day party with you, but I can't tonight. You see—"

"He has a date," Guinan stepped in, her deadpan delivery taking some of the wind from his sails.

Fortunately, her wry tone was lost on Data. The android raised his eyebrows and his pale expression brightened.

"Congratulations, my friend," he said. "May I inquire as to the identity of the fortunate individual?"

Geordi snickered. He could always count on Data to lift his spirits. However awkward the engineer might sometimes feel in social situations, the android's earnest attempts to 'fit in' with human norms and customs had a way of making Geordi feel suave and knowledgeable.

"It's Aubree. Lt. Chambers, from Stellar Cartography," he said. "She's one of the recent transfers from the _Lexington_. Sorry I didn't tell you, but I kinda wanted to wait and see how things turned out...you know..."

"Ah, yes," Data said – and Geordi all but 'saw' him access her personnel file, his golden eyes moving as if reading information off some internal screen. "I am familiar with the lieutenant. We met at the last department meeting. She seemed quite competent."

"Competent, yeah," Geordi said teasingly, and waggled his eyebrows. "I noticed that too."

Data looked slightly puzzled, aware he had missed something. But, instead of inquiring, he straightened and clapped a companionable hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Have a good time," he said, and brought his hand stiffly back to his side. "I will anticipate a comprehensive report."

Geordi smiled and laughed.

"You want to hear all the details, is that it?"

Data tilted his head.

"Is that not what I said?"

Geordi's smile broadened.

"Sure thing, pal," he said, and copied the android's friendly gesture. "Enjoy the party at the school."

Data nodded once, turned, and walked out of Ten Forward.

Geordi slapped the bar and stood.

"Well, I've got a romantic evening to prepare," he said to Guinan.

"Don't forget what I said," she warned.

"I know, I know," Geordi replied over his shoulder as he followed his friend out the sliding door. "A two-player game. I'll see you later, Guinan."

"Good luck," she said, and went back to pouring drinks.

 _To Be Continued..._

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 _The next part will be coming soon, and so will new chapters for "Skin Deep" and "Croaked," which are already in progress. Stay Tuned, and thanks so much for reading!_

 _Reviews welcome! :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, as usual, this story seems to be getting larger and longer than initially anticipated. But, as long as you're having fun, I'll be happy to follow it through a few more chapters. :) I'm not sure yet if it'll have two or three more at this point, but I hope you'll enjoy the ride along with me as Geordi strives to engineer 'the perfect date'. Thanks so much for your reviews! :)_

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Part Two

Geordi stood in the hallway outside Lt. Chambers's quarters, turning a small, heart-shaped candy box around and around in his hands as he waited for his watch to read exactly 19:30 hours.

He pressed her door chime the moment the numbers changed, bouncing on his heels a little as he waited for the door to open.

And waited.

And waited.

After another twenty seconds, he pressed the chime again.

"Geordi! Hey!"

The call came from down the hall. Geordi turned to see Lt. Chambers, waving as she jogged toward him from the direction of the turbolift.

"Hey, Aubree! You look hot," he said – then realized how that would sound to someone without a VISOR. "No – I mean, your heat signature. It's, uh, pretty high. Not that you don't look, uh—"

Fortunately, the young officer cut him off with a laugh.

"I just came from the gym," she said, a little breathless as she came to a stop beside him. "This ship really has the most amazing facilities! Bob McIntyre was really nice about showing me around – do you know Bob? Security officer?"

"I, uh… Well, I'm not really sure…"

"Great guy. Come on, let's go inside," she said, lifting the privacy lock and leading the way through the sliding doors to her quarters.

Geordi followed a little uncertainly, standing just inside the main living room while she flitted around, clearing stray clothes and work padds from her small sofa and coffee table as she continued to talk.

"That's one of the best things about a new assignment, I think," she was saying. "It's such a fantastic chance to meet people from all over the Federation. You know, go out, make friends, get to know what the ship's all about! You can sit down if you want."

"Huh? Oh…" Geordi smiled a little sheepishly. "Yeah, thanks."

"You mind if I grab a quick sonic shower?" she asked, already halfway to her room. "I didn't have time at the gym. That is – I meant to, but I was having such a great time trying out all that amazing training equipment, I guess the time just ran away with me! It'll just take a sec to wash my hair and change."

"Sure, sure," Geordi said, shooting a glance at her wall clock as he sat at the edge of her sofa. "Whatever you need to do."

She laughed from the other room.

"You know, Farrell was right about you. You really are a sweet guy. Just make yourself comfortable, I'll be right out!"

"Comfortable…right…"

Geordi wrinkled his brow over his VISOR, wondering if, for some people, 'comfortable' was actually a euphemism for 'awkward.' He liked to consider himself a laid-back sort of guy, but this was their first real date. He'd worked hard to plan a special evening and, he had to admit, he was finding Aubree's casual attitude a little…disconcerting.

As the sound of her shower started up, he stood and began to pace around, working to keep his thoughts in the living room with the cut flowers on the glass coffee table, the hanging textile art on the walls…

"Oh, Geordi!" Aubree's voice called over the shower, "I was thinking about where we could go tonight! I've been to Ten-Forward – only for drinks so far – but, I've heard it's the social hub of the ship, and—"

"You can forget Ten-Forward," Geordi called back to her. "I've got something much better lined up for tonight."

"Oh, yeah? What did you have in mind?"

The shower sounds stopped, and he could hear her rummaging around in her closet.

"How about a romantic ski trip," he said. "The holodeck's already booked. We can stay as long as we like."

"What? Wait - hold on—!" she called. "I just need another minute…"

Geordi sighed and began to pace again, still turning his heart-shaped candy box around and around in his hands.

"Thanks for being such a good sport," Aubree said, striding out of her quarters in a flowy, lilac dress that both she and Geordi found to be tight in all the right places. Two elegant combs held her dark hair back from her face, while the rest flowed past her narrow shoulders in waves.

"Do you like them?" she asked, indicating the combs. "They used to be my grandmother's. She brought them with her from Vietnam when she and my grandfather moved to the Trappist system."

"They're lovely," Geordi said honestly, his VISOR picking up on the prismatic light refracted by the polished shell surface. "Was your grandfather also from Vietnam?"

"No, Egypt," she said. "And my father's family originally came from, um, oh gosh… Sri Lanka, that's it." She laughed. "Goodness, I've been charting the stars too long. I need to brush up on my Earth geography. Did you grow up on Earth?"

"Uh, no," Geordi said. "No, I'm a Fleet brat. Me and my sister both."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, Ariana," he said. "The two of us grew up hopping from base to base, ship to ship… Wherever our parents ended up getting assigned."

"That sounds amazing!" Aubree exclaimed. "Your whole childhood must have been, like, one long adventure!"

"I don't know if I'd go that far…" he muttered, but Aubree barely heard.

"My family lived in the middle of nowhere, a few kilometers out from this little mountain village," she said. "Pretty for the tourists, who got to leave once the skiing season was over, but for us kids who had to live there, that snowball planet was the most boring place in the universe. Joining Starfleet was my big escape! So, what were you saying about the holodeck?"

"Ah," Geordi said, and brightened. Finally, this date was getting on track!

Holding out his box of candy – just as he'd planned to had she been there to open the door – he said, "Aubree, this is for you. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh – that's right! It is Valentine's Day!" Aubree grinned, taking the box and untying the ribbon. "Oh, and they're chocolates! You are so thoughtful! But, I could never eat these by myself – you want one?"

"Maybe after dinner," Geordi said, taking the box and setting it down on her coffee table. "I've got the whole evening planned. Listen to this."

He smiled, using his hands to help him paint the picture he'd been building in his mind all week.

"We're at the Ice Castle Resort on Trappist C," he said. "After a scenic ride up the mountain, we ski our way to this cozy little cabin by an icefall, sheltered by pines."

"A cabin?"

"Not just a cabin," Geordi told her. "It's really a five-star restaurant. There's live music, a dance floor. And the menu is truly top-notch. I'm telling you, you have got to taste this food to believe it."

"Wow…" Aubree said. "That sounds, um…well…"

"Hey, OK, I know what you're going to say. It sounds a bit much for a first date, right?" Geordi said, and she gave a nod-like shrug. "But, hey – this is Valentine's Day! What's the fun of a holiday if you don't go all out? So, ready to get this evening started?"

Aubree glanced down at her dress.

"Well, I wasn't really expecting... Maybe I should change—"

"No, no, you look perfect!" Geordi assured her, eager to get back on schedule. "Besides, the holodeck can provide anything we might need."

"Well, if you're sure—"

"Absolutely," Geordi said, and took her hand. "Aubree, it's gonna be great. I promise."

Aubree regarded him for a moment longer then, slowly, began to smile.

"OK," she said. "I was kind of hoping we could have dinner with some of my new friends, but I've been wanting to try the holodeck too. Are the graphics here really as good as I've heard?"

"Better," Geordi said, practically leaning toward the door. "Trust me, after a few minutes you forget you're on a holodeck at all. So…coming?"

"Yeah, let's go," Aubree said, and laughed as they stepped out into the corridor.

"What's so funny?" he asked, checking his watch. Only six minutes behind his intended schedule…not too bad…

"Oh, but this is perfect!" she said, surprising the engineer by wrapping her arm around his. "First a security officer shows me all the little tricks and secrets of the gym, and now the chief engineer is taking me on a tour of the holodeck! I knew I'd love this assignment! Thanks, Geordi."

"Yeah, well…" He smiled, putting on his best 'suave' look. "You just wait. This program I've set up for us will totally blow you away."

 _To Be Continued…_

 _Reviews are always welcome! I'd love to know what you think! :)  
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	3. Chapter 3

It's alive! Here's another piece of the story, and there's more to come. Stay tuned, and Happy Valentine's Day! :D

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Part Three

Snow on Trappist C wasn't exactly like snow on Earth. The icy flecks were small and sharp, more like tiny glass shards than snowflakes. The air pressure and oxygen levels were far lower than on Earth as well, even at the lower elevations. Once the ski lift had carried Geordi and Aubree up the gleaming mountain slope, they had to don protective full-body pressure suits and oxygen masks before venturing out of the cozy Ice Castle Resort into the sub-zero wind.

"Oh god, it's just like I remember out there," Aubree commented, sealing her transparent crash helmet over her mask and goggles with a strange, sucking click. "Are you sure you'll be OK, Geordi? I mean, your VISOR…?"

"It's not a problem," Geordi said, and held up his customized goggles before fitting them over his VISOR and snapping his own helmet into place. The compressed oxygen he'd chosen for their excursion had a slightly sweet, uplifting scent, like vanilla and fresh jasmine. "I told you, the holodeck can provide anything you want. Just give the command, and I will make it so."

He couldn't tell if she smiled with all that gear obscuring her features, but subtle shifts in her heat signature made him think she probably did.

"I didn't take you for a skier, Geordi," she said, their helmets' comm system making her voice sound right in his ear. "Most of the off-world tourists we got back home were pretty hard-core."

"Don't worry," he said. "I've been practicing all week for this! Come on, we can still keep to the schedule if we head out now."

"There's a schedule?"

"I've got the whole evening planned!" Geordi reminded her. "Everything's gonna be perfect, as long as we keep moving."

"Well, if you're this excited, this program has to be good." Aubree snapped on her skis, then stepped onto the test platform to make sure the skis' propulsion and breaks responded properly to her shifts in movement. "Come up here and test your skis. There's room for both of us."

If they'd really been on Trappist C, making sure their skis were in working order could mean the difference between life and death. On the holodeck, the safety program made such tests redundant and, to Geordi's mind, an unnecessary waste of time. Still, Aubree insisted over his protests, refusing to leave the lodge until she felt satisfied his gear was safe and functional.

"No schedule is more important than your safety, even if this is just a holodeck simulation," she said, helping him down off the test platform. This time, there was no question she was smiling. She gave his hand a squeeze, her form glowing with warmth. "See, that didn't take too long, did it?"

"Well…not _too_ long," he admitted, and squeezed her hand back, pulling her after him as he headed toward the sliding doors. "Let's get moving!"

 _To Be Continued..._

 _Sorry this is so short. I've been sick, but I'm getting better and I've been itching to get back to my stories! Stay tuned for the rest of this story, as well as new chapters for_ Skin Deep: Part III, _coming soon! :D_


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